Bengaluru: “I eat meat at least thrice a week and I think bacon is God's best creation. If it causes cancer I'm still going to eat it,” says 24-year-old professional photographer Rajiv Mathew Cherian.
“Even milk causes breast cancer, but we don’t stop drinking it!” This was the reaction when Deccan Chronicle asked the public and chefs about the World Health Organisation report on Monday that warned against consuming bacon, sausage and other processed meats which could cause cancer.
“The WHO revelation is quite shocking. This is like saying breathing could cause cancer! Our ancestors were primarily meat eaters, but cancers are more prevalent only in the last 30-40 years,” says Arunim Banerjee, a Chartered Accountant.
Mr Vijaya Baskaran, Executive Chef, Le Méridien, says, “Most restaurants process the meat themselves and make in-house burgers. Consumers should ask hotels what kind of meat is used, and if it is processed in-house, they should not worry.”
He says, “Bacon and ham are bought from outside. If WHO has sent out a warning, we will definitely alert our team. But, unlike in the West, the number of people eating bacon here is very less.” Mr Ramasamy Selvaraju, Executive Chef, Vivanta by Taj, advises people against eating processed meat. “They should, instead, opt for seafood, especially salmon, seer fish and sea sole, which increase good cholesterol.”
What WHO says...
Consuming processed meats such as bacon, sausages and ham and even red meat may pose cancer risk to humans, the WHO’s cancer research agency cautioned on Monday.
